marital bargaining

I am the World’s Worst Dental Patient. I wish I could blame a dentist for that, but I held the title long before my 4-hour root canal a year and a half ago. I don’t really know how I got to be that way–probably my orthodontist. He had the most awful breath, and he was kinda blind, so he got up close and personal when he was hurting you. I also didn’t grow up having my teeth cleaned regularly; my first time was right before I had my braces put on in 8th grade, and my second time was right after I got my braces off five years later. So in my twenties when I decided I should be more proactive about my dental health, I quickly decided that was a bad idea, because I realized my teeth are just too sensitive for dental hygienists. Even for my friend Patti, who was my first semi-regular hygienist and was wonderful. By the time I was in my late twenties, I dreaded going to the dentist. To illustrate how infrequently I go, I have to get x-rays (which they take every two years) every single time I go in for a cleaning.

And then a year and a half ago, my fear of the dentist cranked up to eleven. My dental insurance was going to end the last day of July, so around the 25th or 26th, I went in. Now, I didn’t go in voluntarily–Frank had the dentist’s office call me to make an appointment. It had been three or four years since I’d been (some people avoid the doctor, I avoid the dentist). And since it’d been so long, I had five cavities and needed a root canal. That day, I had two cavities filled. Two days later, I had another two cavities filled, got Rickrolled in the dentist’s chair, and had the root canal, which, I will repeat, is so much worse than childbirth. Childbirth is like getting a massage compared to a root canal. The fifth cavity has never been filled.

Now. Frank has this thing about drinking water. It’s boring, and he hates it. He drinks black coffee, and he drinks anything sweet–soda, juice, whatever. As long as it has a non-water flavor. I’ve been on him about drinking water for years. He also doesn’t exercise much. He did for a while, but as soon as the baby came and our schedule got all wacky, he stopped, understandably.

So a couple of weeks ago, Frank went to the dentist. While he was checking out, the subject of me came up. He once again asked the office lady to call me. He told me that night that he had done that, but since she hadn’t called that afternoon, I hoped she had forgotten. Then Monday morning he went and got one of his cavities filled. I was sitting in bed in the morning, feeding Buttercup, and my phone rang. It was the dentist’s office. When the woman told me she had forgotten to call last week, but that Frank had just left and she told him again that she would call me, I just responded, “He is in so much trouble.”

Now I have an appointment for next week. She assured me that there will be numbing and nitrous and that they’ll be gentle with me. She also noted that the hygienist who worked on me before “was very good, but she moved to Texas, but we have some other hygienists here who are also very good.” I said, “Oh good. The hygienist who worked on me last time tried to tell me I didn’t feel pain when I did.”

Anyway, Frank came home at lunch that day. I told him I had an appointment with the dentist. He was soooo happy. “Yeah, sorry I have to make you go, but you have to take care of yourself… for your family.”

Oh. He’s gonna regret he said that. Because I looked at him with my angry face and said, “Fine. Then YOU have to take care of YOURself for your family. You have to start drinking water. And exercising.” I think he was surprised that I was as upset about it as I was. He agreed to do it. And I’ve been on him ever since.

This evening he was playing with Buttercup and asked if I’d go fill his water bottle for him. I looked at him. “What???”
“Well, if I don’t drink it, you’ll have an excuse to not go to the dentist.”
“That’s right. 64 ounces a day, dude. And after this appointment, you have to keep drinking your water if you want me to go back in six months.”

Because I’ll be watching. And if he misses one day of drinking his water… well, I’ll happily miss one day at the dentist.

7 Responses to marital bargaining

You know that the 64-ounce thing was debunked, right? Someone a few years ago went to try to find the original study that the recommendation came from, and found that it actually said that people usually consume ~64 ounces of fluids during the day, and that much of that is contained in the foods they eat. The 8x8oz. glasses of water thing was a total misrepresentation or misreading. Current recommendation is: drink if you’re thirsty.

I’m no nutritionist, but I can’t drink eight glasses of any fluid each and every day. Besides, there’s water in everything. There’s water in fruits and veg. There’s water in black coffee. You get necessary liquids from juices and foods. It’s probably not strictly necessary to drink an actual eight glasses of actual water every 24 hours.

On the principle of exercise and drinking water instead of sodas, I’m with you, but ease up on the poor man’s bladder. After all, you only have to go to a dentist once every two years, he’s got to keep after this every day.

2 quick suggestions – get a SoniCare toothbrush. It is amazing. Use it morning/night. Then floss each morning. If you do these two things, the difference in your checkups/cleanings is AMAZING. The hygenist hardly has to do any scaling. I actually look forward to my dental appts now.

I’m a wimp when it comes to the dentist, too. All 6’2″ and 250 lbs of me. On average I now go about every 3 or 4 years now–just because I can’t stand that pain.

This procrastination hasn’t done me well, though. A few months ago I cracked a tooth, and it went deep. Me, dental wimp that I am, couldn’t bear the thought of the root canal, and so opted for a crown. For 4 hours I sat in that chair. After hearing that drill for an eternity, it was time for the laser. Then, when they got down to the jawbone they found the laser wasn’t big enough–and so rolled in this monstrosity that I swear was an arc welder–it was certainly that big. Afterwards, I made the mistake of going to the tire store to get my tires rotated. It took a while, the numbness wore off, and I honestly didn’t think I was going to make it home to get to the ibuprofen. When I did get home my wife met me at the door with the pills, and I curled up on the couch–literally almost crying. And I’m a big “tough” guy…right, sure–not when it comes to the dentist.

I won’t even go into the novocaine fiasco. Literally 5 times the amount a normal person uses before I got numb. That’s a whole ‘nother story….

Ironically, I’m going back to the dentist next week. They messed up and there’s an air pocket underneath the crown. They have to redo it. I’m thrilled.

I had never been to a dentist in first 25yrs of life. Back home, you see dentist only if you are dying in pain. The myth was if someboday scraps and cleans the teeth, there will be too much gap bet’n your teeth and it will be home for plaque.

So the first time I went to a dentist, she asked me how long it has been since I last went to dentist. I was too embrassed to say 25 yrs..so I contemplated for a sec, and then said 2 yrs. From the look of her face I can say she didn’t believe it..

I am now a regular to dentist, but still have to push my wife to take an appt.. Also it is funny, I am pushing her to drink 8 glasses of water everyday :)